12 months old

Learn more about your baby’s development at 12 months old…

Each child progresses at his or her own pace. There is no need to worry if your 12-month old child has not mastered the art of walking yet. In fact, there are some children at this age that cannot stand up on their own during this age.

It is important for parents to realize that there are different milestones involved in the development of children. Moreover, there is a wide array of developmental milestones that children pass through and a delay in one or two milestones does not necessarily mean a delay in the development of the child.

At 12 months old, your child may already be walking. This is also the time when your child becomes more mobile and your child will become more interested in noisy activities. During this time, communication is more of a two-way concept now. In fact, if you ask your child simple questions, he or she may be able to answer you correctly. This is also a good time to start teaching your child good manners like saying thank you and please. Moreover, you can teach him or her how to tidy up his or her toys.

Physical development and skills at 12 months old

When your baby reaches eight to twelve months of age, he or she will already become increasingly mobile. This is a time when your child will have more sense of power as well as control as he or she moves from one place to another. In fact, this is also a time when your child feels physically independent.

Here is a list of the physical developments that your child will most likely exhibit at this age:

sits up without assistance

crawls forward through pushing with legs and pulling with arms

able to assume hand and knee position

can assume crawling or prone position from a sitting position

able to pull self up to stand

may be able to walk while holding on to furniture

can stand momentarily without any support

may be able to walk two to three steps without any support

able to use pincer grasp

can bang cubes together and places objects inside a container

imitates scribbling and pokes using index finger

Activities that your baby enjoys at this age

The way your baby plays may already be changing as he or she nears his or her first year. At this time, your child will become more interested in energetic play to strengthen his or her arms and legs. Your child is able to pick up and manipulate small objects. Your child will also prefer noisier games.

Your child will start to throw, knock and push objects. Moreover, he or she will be playing with blocks and containers and pots and pans. Your child will become thrilled when loud sounds are created whenever he or she hits two objects together.

Language and cognitive development at 12 months old

Your baby, at this age, will also start to communicate with you in clearer manner. Your child will exhibit the following milestones in language development:

attentive to speech

able to respond to simple verbal requests

able to respond to ‘NO’ cues

make use of exclamations like ‘oh!’

imitates words heard from people around him or her

utilizes simple gestures like shaking head

may be able to say simple words like ‘Dada’ or ‘mama’

At this age, cognitive development of your child also progresses. In fact, your child explores different objects through different ways like banging, shaking, throwing, and dropping the objects. Your baby will also be able to find hidden objects easily. He or she will also imitate your gestures and uses objects like cup and comb correctly.

Emotional and social milestones at 12 months old

Your child’s social and emotional aspects are also developed at this age. In fact, there are several milestones that he or she may exhibit at 12 months old. Here is a list of these milestones:

becomes anxious or shy when meeting strangers

enjoys imitating others while playing

cries whenever the father and mother leaves

may show specific interest or preferences in certain types of toys or people

may become fearful in some situations

prefers having mother or regular caregiver over other people

grabs attention through repeating gestures and sounds

may test parent’s responses to his or her actions or behavior

When to seek a consultation

There are times when you may have doubts with your baby’s development, especially if you observe that he or she may not be doing what other babies at his or her age are doing. It is important to take note that each baby develops in his or her own manner and pace. Thus, it is impossible to tell exactly when your baby is going to perfect a skill. The developmental milestones serve as a guide of the changes that you can expect as your child reaches a certain age. You should not be alarmed if your child’s development takes a slightly different course. However, there are a few signs that require immediate consult to your child’s pediatrician. Here are the signs to watch out for:

your child does not crawl at 12 months old

your child seems to drag one side of his or her body while crawling

your child does not reach for objects that are hidden while he or she watches

your child does not say even a single word

your child is not able to stand even with support

your child does not point at pictures or objects

your child does not use and learn gestures like shaking his or her head or waving

Whenever one or more of these signs are present, you should seek immediate consult to your child’s pediatrician. This way, additional examinations and assessments will be conducted to determine whether your child is developmentally challenged at his or her current age. By determining the need for therapy, your child will be given the chance to grow and develop normally after successfully identifying underlying health conditions and conducting proper treatment.